In 2012, 100 position players were signed as free agents in Major League Baseball, ranging in cost from $250M over 10 years for Albert Pujols down to several players signed to minimum salary or minor league deals. Here are my selections for the best and worst free agent signings of the year, based on the season so far. The Diamondbacks have two of the top three signings, and the Rays have two of the worst. A list of all 100 free agent signings, along with their fWAR and bWAR for 2012 (fWAR is Wins Above Replacement from Fangraphs, bWAR is Wins Above Replacement from Baseball-Reference), is posted at the end of this article.

Best Free Agent Signings (Position Players)

(Stats are through games of July 25)

1. Aaron Hill, ARI - 2Yrs/11M; .304/.359/.503, 13 HR, 48 RBI, 3.5 fWAR, 2.5 bWARHill was signed to a two year deal for just $5.5M/year, and currently leads all NL Second Basemen in HR, OBP, SLG, and fWAR, while playing excellent defense at 2B. Hill also has the distinction of being the first player to hit for the cycle twice in one season since Babe Herman in 1931.

3. Jason Kubel, ARI - 2Yrs/$15M; .298/.367/.583, 22 HR, 72 RBI, 2.6 fWAR, 2.2 bWARKubel was probably one of the most criticized signings of the year, but he is leading the NL in RBI (3rd in MLB) with 72. The hitting from Kubel and Hill have helped offset the disappointing offensive seasons from Justin Upton and Chris Young. Defensively, Kubel's 11 Outfield Assists lead the NL, which has helped make up for his lack of range in the outfield.

4. Yoenis Cespedes, OAK - 4 Yrs/$36M; .302/.361/.533, 13 HR, 50 RBI, 1.3 fWAR, 1.0 bWARCespedes has hit much better than expected in his first Major League season. The A's are 41-24 (.631) when Cespedes is in the lineup, compared to 12-20 without him. His poor defense in CF and lack of experience in LF have pulled down his WAR totals, but he has been a big factor in the A's improvement this year.

5. Carlos Beltran, STL - 2 Yrs/$26M; .287/.364/.526, 22 HR, 71 RBI, 2.6 fWAR, 2.5 bWARBeltran has picked up the offensive slack from the departed Albert Pujols, leading the Cardinals in HR with 22 and RBI with 71. His defense has slipped a little, but he's helped keep the Cardinals in the NL Wild Card race.

Worst Free Agent Signings

1. Clint Barmes, PIT - 2 Yrs/10.5M; .205/.231/.288, 4 HR, 25 RBI, -0.2 fWAR, -0.3 bWARBarmes' .231 OBP is the lowest among all players with at 250 Plate Appearances, and his walk rate of 1.7% (5 in 295 PA) is also the worst in MLB. He has played well defensively, but he has a strong claim as the worst offensive player in MLB in 2012.

2. Grady Sizemore, CLE - 1 Yr/$5M - no stats in 2012The Indians gambled $5M on Sizemore during the offseason, but his return from a back injury is still questionable.

3. Ramon Hernandez, COL - 2 Yrs/$6.5M; .193/.236/.336, 4 HR, 18 RBI, -0.5 fWAR, -1.2 bWARHernandez's poor season may be due in part to a hand injury that had him on the DL for over six weeks, but he has had a very disappointing season and has lost the starting job to Wilin Rosario. Trade rumors have him going to the Rays, Nationals, or Mets.

4. Luke Scott, TB - 1 Yr/$6M; .225/.279/.438, 12 HR, 45 RBI, 0.1 fWAR, 0.1 bWARScott has hit for power, but his AVG and OBP are way too low for a starting DH. He went through a horrendous 0 for 41 slump in June/July, but was just starting to hit (15 for 39 in his last 10 games) before going on the DL on July 21.

5. Carlos Pena, TB - 1 Yr/$7.25M; .191/.322/.349, 14 HR, 41 RBI, 0.6 fWAR, -0.2 bWARPena has drawn some walks (60) and hit for some power, but the overall offensive line is a big disappointment for the Rays. Fangraphs likes Pena's defense at 1B, which pushes him to a positive fWAR.

Top Free Agent Bargains

1. Cody Ross, BOS - 1 Yr/$3M; .261/.336/.535, 16 HR, 50 RBI, 1.9 fWAR, 1.4 bWARRoss has only played in 69 games for the Red Sox, but has been very productive when healthy.

2. Ryan Doumit, MIN - 1 Yr/$3M; .287/.339/.470, 10 HR, 46 RBI,1.2 fWAR, 0.5 bWARDoumit has played Catcher, RF, LF, and even 1B for the Twins, as well as DH.

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